Through studying a Master of Education in Teacher Librarianship I have developed a comprehensive understanding of what the role of TL actually entails. The standards for TL endorsed by Australian Library and Information Association & Australian School Library Association [ALIA and ASLA] (2004) outline professional expectations of highly skilled TLs and provide goals for my future. If I am to be a TL of excellence, extending my professional knowledge, practice and commitment (ALIA & ASLA, 2004), then I need to be a leader in advocating a change in the way others see TL and libraries. For various reasons, others are losing sight of the relevance of libraries in this digital age (Herring, 2005) and it is the job of the TL to seize every opportunity to challenge these opinions and promote the services available where users can benefit (Miller, 2005). This involves commitment- to the principles of education and librarianship; to empowering others through sharing expertise and being well-informed (ALIA & ASLA). As facilitators of information, TLs need to be well-informed regarding the principles of lifelong learning, information literacy, curriculum changes and library management (ALIA & ASLA, 2004). I will need to be informed about how students learn and the role of information technology in this pursuit (ALIA & ASLA). I will need to keep informed regarding curriculum changes and technological developments. This means I will need to work hand in hand with teachers in developing programs for all students that will meet goals and contribute to the development of lifelong learning. I will need to work with all stakeholders (Todd, 2008), including administration, with respect and collaborative support (Oberg, 2006) to develop an information rich learning environment that supports the school community (ALIA & ASLA, 2004). I will develop a rich, diverse and inviting environment (Martin, et al., 2011) with exemplary library management practices consistent with national standards (ALIA & ASLA, 2004) of both physical and digital platforms.I will evaluate using evidence based practices to monitor, measure and make changes (ALIA & ASLA) that will continuously show improvement and make the school library the hub of the learning community.
References
Australian Library and Information Association & Australian School Library Association. (2004). Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. Retrieved January 6, 2013 from http://www.asla.org.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/TLstandards.pdf Herring, J. (2005). The end of the teacher-librarian. Teacher Librarian, 33(1), 26-29. Martin, A.M., Westmoreland, D.D. & Branyon, A. (2011). New design considerations that transform the library into an indispensable learning environment. Teacher Librarian, 38(5), 15-20. Miller, P. (2005). Web 2.0: Building the new library. Ariadne, 45. Retrieved from http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue45/miller Oberg, D. (2006). Developing the respect and support of school administrators. Teacher Librarian, 33(3), 13-18. Todd, R.J. (2008). The dynamics of classroom teacher and teacher librarian instructional collaborations. Scan. 27(2), 19-28.
5.1 My Role as a Future Teacher Librarian
Through studying a Master of Education in Teacher Librarianship I have developed a comprehensive understanding of what the role of TL actually entails. The standards for TL endorsed by Australian Library and Information Association & Australian School Library Association [ALIA and ASLA] (2004) outline professional expectations of highly skilled TLs and provide goals for my future.
If I am to be a TL of excellence, extending my professional knowledge, practice and commitment (ALIA & ASLA, 2004), then I need to be a leader in advocating a change in the way others see TL and libraries. For various reasons, others are losing sight of the relevance of libraries in this digital age (Herring, 2005) and it is the job of the TL to seize every opportunity to challenge these opinions and promote the services available where users can benefit (Miller, 2005). This involves commitment- to the principles of education and librarianship; to empowering others through sharing expertise and being well-informed (ALIA & ASLA).
As facilitators of information, TLs need to be well-informed regarding the principles of lifelong learning, information literacy, curriculum changes and library management (ALIA & ASLA, 2004). I will need to be informed about how students learn and the role of information technology in this pursuit (ALIA & ASLA). I will need to keep informed regarding curriculum changes and technological developments. This means I will need to work hand in hand with teachers in developing programs for all students that will meet goals and contribute to the development of lifelong learning.
I will need to work with all stakeholders (Todd, 2008), including administration, with respect and collaborative support (Oberg, 2006) to develop an information rich learning environment that supports the school community (ALIA & ASLA, 2004). I will develop a rich, diverse and inviting environment (Martin, et al., 2011) with exemplary library management practices consistent with national standards (ALIA & ASLA, 2004) of both physical and digital platforms.I will evaluate using evidence based practices to monitor, measure and make changes (ALIA & ASLA) that will continuously show improvement and make the school library the hub of the learning community.
References
Australian Library and Information Association & Australian School Library Association. (2004). Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians. Retrieved January 6, 2013 from http://www.asla.org.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/TLstandards.pdfHerring, J. (2005). The end of the teacher-librarian. Teacher Librarian, 33(1), 26-29.
Martin, A.M., Westmoreland, D.D. & Branyon, A. (2011). New design considerations that transform the library into an indispensable learning environment. Teacher Librarian, 38(5), 15-20.
Miller, P. (2005). Web 2.0: Building the new library. Ariadne, 45. Retrieved from http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue45/miller
Oberg, D. (2006). Developing the respect and support of school administrators. Teacher Librarian, 33(3), 13-18.
Todd, R.J. (2008). The dynamics of classroom teacher and teacher librarian instructional collaborations. Scan. 27(2), 19-28.
Table of contents
5.2 Facilitating Information Literacy
5.3 Managing a Collection